US – Thursday, March 11
The week's releases
Metro staff reviews the latest CDs, DVDs and books for your reading pleasure.
 
Trey Songz is ‘Ready’ indeed
Trey Songz spent 2009 collecting praise in the forms of a Grammy nod for Best Contemporary R&B Album, a gold plaque and top 10 hits along with friends like Fabolous and Drake. With the success of his latest set, “Ready,” life for the former Tremaine Neverson is good.
 
As clear as black and Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite has spent the past three decades producing some of the biggest pop rock acts in the world, including U2, Matchbox Twenty  and the Dave Matthews Band. Now he wants a new job. He wants to replace Simon Cowell as a judge on “American Idol.”
 
And the Oscar goes to ...
Despite the anticipation surrounding the announcement that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin would co-host the 82nd annual Academy Awards, the results were an unfunny mess. But the real star of the night (despite a big upset for Best Director and Best Picture awards) was James Cameron.
 
The right cast helps to cut the clutter
Kate Whoriskey’s production of William Gibson’s 1959 drama, “The Miracle Worker,” is nothing if not sturdy. Anchored by strong performances from its two exceptional leading ladies, it charts just-out-of-school teacher Annie Sullivan’s struggle to get through to blind and deaf young student Helen Keller and counteract the influence of Helen’s overindulgent family. Abigail Breslin is smug and ferocious as Helen, while Alison Pill is a study in single-mindedness as Annie, determined to open up Helen’s world through language.
 
An ‘Ugly’ farewell and a role in a ‘Wedding’
It’s time to say so long to “Ugly Betty” as America Ferrera returns to the big screen this month with “Our Family Wedding,” a culture-clash comedy about a Mexican-American law student (Ferrera) who brings her African-American fiancé (Lance Gross) home to meet her caught-off-guard family. It’s the actress’ first film since the announcement that her 4-year-old ABC comedy won’t be returning in the fall.
 
 
 
Going from spy to prime minister
In Roman Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer,” in theaters now, Pierce Brosnan plays a British prime minister facing a possible war crimes prosecution. We caught up with the actor about preparing for the part, but couldn’t help asking the former James Bond about his earlier work and upcoming role as Robert Pattinson’s father in “Remember Me,” which opens this weekend.
 
 
 
 
 

Photo: DAVID BURNETT
When war is your canvas
For a man who writes so much about death in his skillful and heartbreaking new novel, “The Surrendered,” author Chang-rae Lee is surprisingly good-humored. Still, he’s first to admit that his latest effort, which follows three characters ravaged by the Korean War, took him to task.
 
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MMMpod
The March MMMpod features conversation and music from Surfer Blood and The Allman Brothers Band (There's a double-bill you're not too likely to see. However, Gregg Allman does mention Hannah Montana!). We also speak with Vampire Weekend and the Dropkick Murphys.
 
 
 
Metro Life Panel